Solicitation Due Date/Time
Vaccination is a critical tool for containing the virus and minimizing the adverse impact of COVID-19. The State of Wisconsin seeks to achieve herd immunity for COVID-19 across Wisconsin by immunizing approximately 80% of the eligible population. Ongoing efforts to distribute the vaccine safely, efficiently, and equitably must include strategies to ensure that vaccines reach communities that face barriers to accessing medical care and people who have historical mistrust of the medical community and vaccines.
The coronavirus pandemic has been hard on everyone, yet COVID-19 has adversely affected black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) even more acutely. Data, both in Wisconsin and nationwide, show that BIPOC communities have experienced higher rates of infection, hospitalizations, and death. Compared to white Wisconsin residents, Hispanic or Latinx residents have 1.7 times greater case rates, Black residents have 2.1 times greater hospitalization rates, and American Indian residents have 1.5 times greater death rates.
